Pretoria – As the high-stakes murder trial of five men arrested in connection with the murder of Bafana Bafana ace goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa resumes today, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has announced that it is ready to proceed.
“The NPA’s lead prosecutor in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, Advocate George Baloyi urges all role players to ensure that the matter proceeds (today), in the interest of justice for the Meyiwa family and the public at large,” said North Gauteng regional spokesperson for the director of public prosecutions, Lumka Mahanjana.
The trial of the five men accused of the 2014 murder of Meyiwa was scheduled to start on April 11, but was postponed after Advocate Zandile Mshololo, the legal representative of the fifth accused, Sifisokuhle Ntuli, indicated she was unable to proceed with the trial without sufficiently consulting.
She also indicated that the State had released further particulars and statements to the defence at the eleventh hour before the highly-publicised trial.
After being granted one day postponement on Monday last week, Mshololo returned on Tuesday and told Judge Tshifhiwa Anthony Maumela that she was still not ready to proceed with trial, and requested a further five working days’ postponement.
Meyiwa was killed on October 26, 2014, while visiting his girlfriend and mother of his child, singer Kelly Khumalo, in Vosloorus in Gauteng.
In the house that fateful day were Meyiwa, Kelly and her younger sister, Zandi, their mother Ntombi Khumalo, Longwe Twala, Meyiwa’s friends Mthokozisi Thwala and Tumelo Madlala, and Kelly’s then 4-year-old son, Christian, and Thingo, Kelly’s daughter with Senzo.
Last week, Kelly sent respected legal eagle Advocate Magdalene Moonsamy to attend the high-stakes Meyiwa murder trial on a watching brief on her behalf.
“I’m on a watching brief for Ms Kelly Khumalo. You’ll understand that is for reasons which are simply that we need to know what is going on in court, and that has been accepted by His Lordship (the judge) as well as by the defence and the prosecution,” Moonsamy spoke to journalists in court on Tuesday last week.
“That is to ensure that we are able to have a full understanding and the direct interaction, with direct information from the proceedings as we are here. We are dedicated to this time,” she said.
Asked how Khumalo was holding up, Moonsamy said: “She is in high spirits. I think she is in high spirits. She is exceptionally well as we are anticipating the closure of this matter for both her children, especially for Thingo”.
Last week, AfriForum’s legal head, Advocate Gerry Nel, said he believes more people, not only the five should have been arrested for the 2014 murder.
“From what I have seen and the briefings I have had from the South African Police Service, I am convinced that we have the correct people in court, but I would have expected more arrests. I would have expected other people to be with them because I have said it all along. I do not believe that this was a robbery that went wrong,” said Nel who represents some Meyiwa family members.
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